Aspiring to The New Life Together (Phil 3:12-16 )

Philippians 3:12-16

GBCCR " 8/3/24

Catch- There is a problem in a race when you stop too soon

May 2017 Slovenian bike rider Luka Pibernik was in the grand tour bike race

As he approached the finish line with no one ahead of him… he stretches out his arms in victory

The commentators noted the sure look of excitement on his face… the joy of a man who was winning a race

But as he crossed the finish line… all he heard was the ringing of a bell… he had one more lap to go

Sadly a Colombian man actually won that race

Sometimes, in our spiritual lives we are the racer who needs to remember to keep moving forward because the race isn’t over yet

God is not done with you yet

And sometimes we need to be the bell ringer,

helping our friends remember what they need to keep going

Review

The Apostle Paul wrote this book to the Philippians, a solid church

He is calling them to remember Jesus and what Jesus did in the gospel

But then to live a life worthy of it

He’s shown the example of his life, the life of Timothy, Epaphroditus

And in ch 3 he must address the path of legalism vs the path of the cross

Today we will see Paul defines his Progress in the Gospel: Through Christ, Not the LawHe keeps moving forward in this race not trying to earn his salvation, but because Jesus already has done it

He keeps moving forward in this race not trying to earn his salvation, but because Jesus already has done it

So let’s see

2 focuses you need to keep God’s finale in view

Take one look at yourself (12-14)

Recognize you’re not there yet (12a,13a)

Explanation

At the beginning is a special greek phrase that

qualifies something previously said

This makes sure they don’t get the wrong idea.

You could get from this previous section that Paul is this super Christian who has arrived spiritually.

Remember how religious his actions were

Do we come from a religious family? Paul’s was better

Did we put in a bunch of religious effort… more than your peers… Paul did more so, having lived as a pure Hebrew far away from Israel

Done a lot of good deeds? Paul did more

And yet, everything Paul did was unimpressive towards God and actually put him in debt

And yet, he took all of that and threw it aside for love of Jesus

How Christian is that after all? This guy must be so godly and mature

We tend to make the heroes of the faith as somehow better than us

But Paul is reminding them that he is not done yet, he has not arrived at the perfection knowing Jesus

He’s doing the same thing we should… growing in his christian faith

Paul repeats himself in v13 to make his point.

He is not forgetting about the past faithfulness of Jesus dying for him

Nor the history of God’s people

Nor even his previous life

He is forgetting the false nostalgia of “how good I was back then”

He’s refusing to fall into the lie of the Israelites in Exodus who said, let’s go back to Egypt”

He has not obtained it, which means held onto it

Either has he made it his own, He realizes he has not yet obtained the resurrection, received the new body, and that the gain of death is not yet. 


It would be easy to think, following the law gave me some specific checklist, so I felt pretty good,

But that would set the wrong image

Illustration- You need to recognize the work isn’t done yet

Something that is hard for those of who lack in patience

Some in our family love the slow work of complicated puzzles… the search searching searching for the two pieces that fit together

I am not one of those… I like it done quickly

The picture may not be complete, but I get to a point where I don’t want to keep going… it’s taking too long, so it’s good enough

Paul here is saying that a partial picture of Christ is not enough… we cannot quick part of the way

Because like a unfinished puzzle we may never get all the way

But each piece makes the picture a little clearer so that all of the pieces can fall into place

Richard Baxter so wisely said:

“This life was not intended to be the place of our perfection, but the preparation for it.”

Please, recognize you’re not there yet, but that you’re painting an image of where you’re headed

Application

Paul refused to stagnate… to say that my spiritual life is just going to have to be good enough

To those who are older and may look back longingly on the past

Retired pastor Derek Prime in his book a gold old age writes“Hope means that in old age rather

“Hope means that in old age rather than thinking always wistfully about the past and what I am missing, I will be thinking with eager anticipation of what God promises me in the future through His son’s saving work.”

Do you believe that your best days are ahead?

Or the kids who’ve grown up in church

Is it easy to check out because you’ve heard this bible story before?

You know the that Jesus died and rose… you know that you should not lie

Paul knew he never came to the end of God’s depths

As you study the bible you will see that there is always something new… something you didn’t realize before… something more amazing about amazing grace

So do not settle

All of us need to understand orthodoxy… who christ is more

And this includes orthopraxy, doing the work

Yes, Romans 1-11 is all about theology, learning more about christian beliefs

But then we get to Romans 12

Romans 12:1- Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

If you feel like your mind cannot grow anymore… fine, but then work out your hands and feet in sacrificial worship

Scripture is full of actions to take

Trans: And this is where the gospel kicks in, because

Recognize you get to grow because Jesus grabbed you. (12b, 13b, 14)

Expla

(He repeats himself over and over to get at this point)

The word press means to run swiftly in order to catch some person...it was used for athletics and hunting.

Some of you know about hunting, where we hide and wait for our prey to come.

This is not that

This word describes how a cheetah hunts. Running down after its pray in the distance so fast that all 4 legs are never on the ground at the same time 


Burning all energy so that you can eat 


V13 explains this further

Forgetting what lies behind, the previous way of life, the distractions, and aiming toward the goal in v 14.

This does not mean we forget our former sins

Paul didn’t, saying

1 Corinthians 15:9- For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

We do not forget the bad things that happened to us

Jospeh didn’t….as he told his brothers

Genesis 50:20–21- As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Where you have been has taken you to where you are now

But the past isn’t the focus

The past in this context is actually the good Paul did previously… he will never be content

But straining forward to what lies ahead
*It is particularly graphic, bringing to mind the straining muscles, clear focus, and complete dedication of the runner in his race to the prize.

*It is particularly graphic, bringing to mind the straining muscles, clear focus, and complete dedication of the runner in his race to the prize.

Goal is the marker at the end of a race. 


So too it is in the Christian life


If you forget what the end is you will forget why its worth it when your heart fills like it will explode from 
loss or pain 


But our goal is upward call of God, which means the 
heavenly invitation.


=To sit at that great banquet feast with God. 


This is what is promised in Revelation

Revelation 19:7- “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”

It gives the idea of one who is at the front, not looking back at anyone who is behind. But is just focusing on that finish line because he wants to win.

V14 makes clear this is the heavenly call

He lived for the day when his faith would be made sight and he would be given his reward

It is this focus that enables us to strive

In Colossians 3 Paul said being heavenly minded would make us great earthly good

Colossians 3:1–5- Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth….. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

But notice that the indicative is what gives the imperative it’s power

You, christian, can strive to live in a way that honors God

Because God has done this

Paul’s ardent pursuit of this goal is rooted that Jesus has already grasped him and Jesus said he doesn’t lose his sheep

John 6:39- “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

The call to discipleship… picking up your cross to follow Christ may seem impossible at times… too hard to do

And it would be, unless Christ is at work in you, both to will and work

So we are to work because our work actually means something in Christ

1 Corinthians 15:57–58- but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Ilus- Your good works mean nothing to get you to Jesus, But once you're with Jesus, even your meager efforts are worthwhile because he's holding you

We’ve all been the child sitting high on dad’s shoulders, suddenly able to reach high places

And perhaps even grab heavy items

And while a child doesn’t always realize it, you who’ve seen it know the father is helping not only hold the child, but the items as well

How beautiful is it for us to know that we stand on the sure shoulders of our big brother Jesus Christ

APP:

So Christian, do not work to create God’s love,

work because he has loved you

But do grow, in confidence pursue him because he is valuable

DA Carson writes

“We are not to leave old truths and prior steps of holiness behind, …. Our sins become less and less excusable; those who are most saintly are invariably most deeply aware of how sinful they are and of how odious sin is to God. Holiness becomes more and more attractive. The glories of the world-to-come make all the glories of this world fade into dull grays by comparison.”

A Christian pursues the things of Christ, so we almost must check ourselves… is this my same desire?

Paul is warning about those in churches who do not

Trans: here Philippians reminds us that is not a solo race, but we must also be

Take a look to where God has PUT you (15-16)

Push each other towards the truth (15a)

Expla

Paul begins with a “we” command.*not something we have in English,

*not something we have in English,=We together must think this way

=We together must think this way

We know this goes beyond just the Philippians and Paul

because he says “as many as,” a very broad phrase,

that includes you and me.

But he limits that to those who are mature, or perfect.

The adjective perfect comes from the same root as the verb perfected in v. 12,

It is an obvious play on words

Thus, Paul is saying, in effect, “If you are really perfect/mature, you will realize you are not yet perfect/mature!”

He is mocking those who believe that have achieved entire sanctification

They are those who say they don’t really sin anymore

This a Weslyean view they describe as, “complete destruction of sin, as the entireness of consecration to God, and as the state of consummate holiness to which the character of the saint may be formed in the present life”

They point to the fact that Christ came to perfect us and we need a holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (Heb. 12:14)

However, this is an over realized eschatology because even when a christian dies, they’re not fully perfect yet

When believers pass from this present life, their spirits are separated from their bodies (2 Cor. 5:8) and enter the presence of the Lord (Phil. 1:23). Thus the author of Hebrews speaks of the glorified citizens of heaven as “the spirits of the righteous made perfect” (Heb. 12:23).

We need to keep each other on the race of sanctification

Illus- we must move each other towards the truth that we still have some growing to do

Just as singing unites our voices in praise, so Our thinking units our eyes onto the same goal

Some people say theology dividesand yes, it divides like jerseys divide different teams

and yes, it divides like jerseys divide different teams

If you’re passing the ball in soccer or football, you want to know you’re passing it the toright place

Thinking theology divides truth from error

Doctrine divides godliness from lies

So we push each other towards the right doctrine

App

To those of you who are mature

In the upside kingdom, maturity starts with the humility to say I need to know Christ more

Your maturity is shown in your teachability

And to those who push back on thinking about doctrine

Remember, it is our thinking about Jesus that defines what our goal for following him is

We may have different views on some theological issues, but I hope we all keep coming back to the maturity of saying, “I’m not perfect, but I know this bible is and I keep submitting to what it says”

Trans: And if we agree with that we will want to

Untangle anything against the truth (15b)

Expa

Paul continues by assuming that there will be some who think otherwise

But the emphasis is not on those who have other opinions, it is on the fact that God will reveal the truth.

Reveal= shine a light upon, to make it known.

For a believer, God will correct us

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”” (Hebrews 12:5–6)

There is a great truth in Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk the prophet questions how God can be using the evil Babylonians

He’s very confused but after he asks his questions, he states

Habakkuk 2:1- I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

He wants to be corrected

Illus christians will untangle the lies

. Imperfection is a given. It is an assumption. Do not assume otherwise, no matter how gifted you think someone is.

Like any chord you find around your house, it always seems to end up back in knots

And you have to take the time to undo

We sometimes need to patiently sit down and undo each other’s knots

Untangle the lies that get into our heads so easily

App

Be willing to be corrected by others, which is ultimately correction by God.

Remember we said that the greatest threat to our joy is wrong views about God?

And often we have our stated theology and then our practical theology.. what we actually believe

These come out in a lot of mental health issues or conflict in lives

So, as we’ll see with Eudoia and Syntyche, you sometimes need help to do the untangling

God is the one who needs to do so, but he does uses your brothers and sisters in the church

Romans 15:14- And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

So, let others in when you’re struggling, so that they can help

Trans: However, you will find that God does this slowly and even good Christians disagree on important issues, so we have to hold to the biggest:

Tie each other to the truth. (16)

Expa

“However”, means “under any circumstances” or no matter what

= Regardless of whether you’re immature or mature, whether you’re still learning, or already agree

Paul is calling them to live out, or “follow in line” is the word meaning, the gospel truth that they heard in ch 2:6-11 about Jesus or the previous passage.

There are lot of issues we can disagree on, even important ones, but there is a standard outside of us

Illus- we are to tie each other to the truth

This line is so necessary like having the same definition

Take for example justice

For Marxists , social justice meant an equal distribution of society’s material goods

Christians want justice too but we believe the bible teaches we are to create conditions of unity that enabled all people — rich and poor alike to be respected and given equal value in Christ

How you define that will change things entirely

So we must tie each other to truth

App

So challenging your theology with the bible is a way we help each other grow

ask your understanding questions, probe the edges of your understanding,

but be assured there is an answer.

And hold to the gospel, that walking down this path is worth it, no matter what!

Therefore

Since we have seen (Cohesion)-

Recognize work must be still done because Jesus has won

And PUT each other towards the truth

We know we must (Resolution)-

We all know Olympic torch being passed

And this is based on a greek rely race

It was a race in their Olympic games that was unique.

The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit

It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit

You must desire to finish the race with your heart still seeing your need for the gospel of Jesus Christ

But this was a relay race that had to be passed

So may we never be comfortable with the goal that we must keep running

We need to give others the same goal

You must keep growing in Christ, and you must bring others along

The gospel PrimerThe gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my performance, because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine. On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and not mine.

The gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my performance, because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine. On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and not mine.

So please work with all your strength and then don’t rely upon it.